HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS — The FIU softball team stranded 10 runners on base, and a pair of errors led to four runs in a 6-3 loss to Sam Houston on Friday at the Bearkat Softball Complex.

Paige Miller led FIU (26-12, 8-5 CUSA) offensively with a 2-for-4 performance. She added a run scored while also extending her hitting streak to eight. Over that stretch, she has elevated her batting average from .333 to .406.

Five others had one hit apiece. 

While she wasn't one of those five with a hit, Kally Meredith drew a walk and stole her 35th base of the season, which only trails Alabama's Audrey Vandagriff (45) and Oregon's Kai Luschar (39) for the most in the nation.

Sam Houston (19-20, 7-6 CUSA) took a 2-0 lead in the first when a throwing error led to two unearned runs for FIU starter Kennedy Byrd.

A pair of RBI singles from Brooke McCann and Natalie Burns tied it up in the third, although Jianna Simonet was thrown out at home trying to score from second on the hit from Burns, which was a hard grounder through the left side.

In the fifth, a bases-loaded walk from Jensen Luke pulled FIU within one. The inning featured four fielder's choices, including one where Janelle Martinez was forced out at home on a grounder to third from Collier Peaden.

After Sam Houston used a fielding error in the fifth to score two more unearned runs in the home half of the fifth, FIU had a potential rally snuffed out in the sixth.

Kendall Catherwood was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and she was at second base with one out when Bailey Grossenbacher hit a soft grounder in the hole between short and third. 

Without a play at first, Sam Houston tagged Catherwood out at third as she attempted to advance. Instead of two on with one out and momentum, the rally ended shortly thereafter with a fly out to center for the third out.

FIU went down 1-2-3 in the seventh.

Byrd (L, 10-7) struck out six over six innings, allowing six runs (two earned), eight hits and four walks.

UP NEXT
FIU and Sam Houston will meet at 6 p.m. on Saturday in the second game of the series. The teams will conclude it on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

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